We would like to move to a Windows Server 2003 domain and Exchange Server 2003 environment, but would like to change the Windows 2000 Server domain name and start from scratch. Is there any way to move the Exchange Server mailboxes and retain all of the users' information?
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You can build a brand new forest, implementing an Exchange 2003 environment from scratch. Once you have the new environment built, you can utilize migration tools to get from the old environment to the new.
Expert Advice: Migrating users, mailboxes and folders to Exchange 2003
Expert Advice: Migrating the Exchange server to a new domain
Learning Guide: Exchange migration
Reference Center: Exchange Server deployment and migration advice
From a Microsoft perspective, you could use the Microsoft Exchange Server Mailbox Merge Wizard (ExMerge) and the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT). There are also many third-party tools available to assist you in this inter-organizational move.
The only way to change the domain name is if you are running Windows and Exchange 2003. The following links will give you additional information on the process, but the information is not very user friendly:
- "Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domain rename tools"
- "Supplemental steps for using the Exchange Server Domain Rename Fixup tool together with the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools"
Please look at both links -- one is the guide and the other is the supplemental information to make this process a success.
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This was first published in November 2006
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